Diosa Arc: Realization of the Strike
Full-On Battle "Well well well. Rukia. I never thought I'd get this chance." Rukia slowly turned to see the figure of a man standing in the shadows. "So it's true. Aaroniero!" "You remember me? That's good. Now, what do you say we skip the formalities and just get started?" "You know him Rukia?" Ahatake asked? "Yes. This is Aaroniero Arruruerie, the former Novena Espada." Rukia explained, her tone dark. "I thought I'd killed him though." "You did." Aaroniero replied lightly. "And Hell was no picnic let me tell you. I nearly died again down there. But Diosa-sama was kind enough to bring me back. And I now I get my chance to kill you." Rukia hissed at this. "He's an Arracar right? Former Espada and all?" "Yes." Rukia replied, tense. "I told you that not two minutes ago." "Then, tell me this. How is he able to use what resembles a Shikai?" "Because it is a Shikai." Rukia replied. "The face he wears, the Shikai he uses. They all belonged to my former mentor, Kaien Shiba." "How is that possible?" Ahatake was surprised to hear this. "Through my Zanpakutō, Glotonería." Aaroniero interrupted, stopping Ahatake and Rukia's "banter". "My Glotonería allows me to take in other spiritual beings, absorbing their bodies and power. After that, I can manifest any aspect of them at will, including their physical form." "That sounds rather interesting actually." ---- "Agile bastard, aren't you? HYAAAH!" With a twist of his own, Ginji managed to avoid the kick before it could strike the ground, spinning around to face his opponent's back. As he aimed the pistols towards the back of Dordonii's legs, Megami thrusted her sword out, sending spikes of pressurized water out towards her opponent. Whether or not Dordonii managed to evade didn't matter to him. He would dodge Megami's attack after he fired his two shots. Dordoni pushed off from the air, sailing right over Ginji, then vanished with a Sonído, appearing right over Megami. He spun backwards, a new kick flying right towards the back of her skull. The sudden movement almost caught the woman off-guard, the switching of targets causing her to take on a surprised countenance. However, this was not to last. Upon seeing the kick fly towards her, she rolled with it, lunging forward and ducking down in order to avoid being struck. Taking two almost stumbling steps forward, she twisted her sword back around and swung the blade in a counter-attack for the exposed back of Dordonii. The blade barely made contact with the Arrancar as he used his strange movements to once again dodge, and skidded back, landing on the ground and taking a strange stance. "You two are proving more difficult to handle than I expected." Megami gave off a beaming smile, even as she settled into her own stance, sword at the ready. "I take back what I said about you, as well!" She remarked. "Despite your looks, you fight like a professional!" She felt anticipation crawl within her nerves, excitement being clear. This was her type of opponent, at least so far.... no hostility, but all action. No emotions would run high, and no grudge could be held. It was a perfect bout between the three. As she spoke, Ginji aimed his two pistols and started firing on Dordonii again, using both of them to generate an incredible rate of fire. To respond, Dordoni fired a several bala blasts to counter Ginji's bullets. But as they flew, he performed several swiping motions, and they duplicated, one set of bala blasts heading towards the bullets, and the others making their speed way towards Megami. The two acted accordingly. For Ginji's current clip, the bullets were running low. As he continued to fire, it was no sooner after that he began to hear a clicking sound. Mentally swearing, he leaped out of the way of the remaining Bala aimed towards him, pointing one of the death barrels for Dordonii once again. He didn't need to worry about Megami, for she was using Shunpo in order to avoid the blasts. This was a good ploy; Dordonii would have the assumption that he was out of ammo because of the clicking sounds. But there was one more card to play before he reloaded. The secondary. With a smirk, he switched firing modes and shot off a grenade-like sphere of energy at Dordonii. It would explode on contact, doing a good amount of damage. Dordonii raised his arm up to swat it away. This, however, triggered the explosion, which went off with a bang. However, when the explosion cleared, Dordonii's arm was only slighly damaged, and the grenade was on the ground in a small crater. Dordonii began to form strange hand signs. "Cero." After forming the last sign, the Cero fired from the space left between his fingers, heading towards Ginji. "The hell?!" Thankfully, Ginji was tipped off by the hand signs. Performing a roll away, he barely managed to avoid being disintegrated by the blast, his heart racing as he felt the warmth of the energy pass through him. As he held his pistols up in the air again to aim them at Dordonii, his mind was riddled with confusion. How did that grenade get easily blown off so easily?! Just how tough was this man?! Dordonii's left eye was shut in pain for a moment. "That was a truly powerful weapon. If I had not managed to remove my arm from it, it would be gone." He rubbed the wound on his arm. "Why do you use such weapons, niño? Have you no skills of your own?" This question caused Ginji to holster his pistols for a moment. "Skills?" He repeated, frowning. His shocked countenance was fading away immediately. "Not all of us were gifted with the ability to use swords with juiced-up powers, Hollow. Some of us just have to rely on is the way of survival and the desire to live. That's what you have, isn't it? In that sense.... we're pretty much fighting on even ground here." "I see." Dordonii vanished with a Sonído, appearing before Ginji and raising his leg to deliver a powerful kick. "Hmph...!" Ginji's swift reflexes kicked in. Spinning around to meet Dordonii, he raised his leg up and parried Dordonii's strike with a kick of his own. As he did so, a wide whip of water came down upon his enemy, courtesy of his partner. Dordonii added force to his leg, pushing Ginji's leg in ever so slightly to allow the Arrancar an escape chance, which he took. But this time, the water whip made contact, however, due to a stroke of luck, it only hit his mask fragment, which chipped and part broke off, shocking the Arrancar. "What a powerful weapon that is. It seems that I may actually need to use this." He unsheathed his blade slightly, and it power was already starting to rise. "Whirl, Giralda!" ---- Ahatake and Rukia's battle had yet to begin. Ahatake and Aarroniero seemed to be sizing each other up, even when Aaroniero's attention was focused mainly on Rukia. "I think I got a good look at his method of fighting back when he fought Megami. Water...that's going to be troublesome." "Now...let's get started." Aaroniero said quietly, drawing his sword. Within seconds, he was in front of Ahatake, his sword swinging down at the Visored, ready to kill. Vanishing in a burst of flames, Ahatake reappeared behind Aaroniero, swinging his sword up at the Arrancar. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia cried from the sidelines, releasing her Zanpakutō. Aaroniero blocked Ahatake's sword strike, but the man lifted his leg up, delivering a kick to Aaroniero's side that sent him flying in Rukia's direction. Rukia raised her blade, pointing it at Aaroniero. "Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" She cried, releasing a massive wave of white ice without the proper steps this time. It was smaller, but traveled faster, enveloping Aaroniero in it's pure light. ---- "NNNGH!!!" This was the moment. Ginji found himself pushed away by the power of the spiritual energy, only to recover and flip back onto his feet once again. He holstered his pistols once again, staring at the transformation with curiosity. "So this is an Arrancar's Resurrecion...." He muttered under his breath, the very energy sending chills down his spine. From a slight distance away, Megami narrowed her eyes and leveled her sword, remaining silent as she prepared for the oncoming attack. With his sword released, his appearance changed. Dordoni had large horns on his shoulders and armor that starts at his feet, wrapping around his calves, and juts out at his waist with two more spikes. His mask also extended, framing his face. Blasts of visible wind began to jut from the armor and Dordoni began to rise into the air. "Now the real fight begins!" Dordoni launched himself towards Megami this time with amazing speed, appearing right in front of her, his fist flying towards her face. The woman couldn't see it coming. The blow connected with her jaw, and the power sent her flying away, her body hovering over the ground as she jetted through the air. This, however, made for an only painful landing; a skidding across the ground that sent agony within her arm, the skin burning thanks to the sparks being generated. Ginji's eyes widened in shock, and he once again aimed his two pistols at Dordonii in order to shoot the man. Suddenly, two enormous cyclones were formed from exhaust spouts on the armor covering his legs. They bore a strange resemblance to birds. He sent one flying at Ginji, and the other towards Megami. "God....damn!" Seeing the situation abruptly spiral downward, Ginji was forced to resort to defensive tactics. Once again, he leaped out of the way, this time barely missing the attack sent towards him. To his horror, however, he saw Megami still attempting to get up as the opposite attack headed towards her. She let out a short scream as she was brutally hit again, spiraling across the ground helplessly like an out-of-water fish. ---- It was silent, except for the sound of ice cracking. Rukia and Ahatake looked at Aaroniero. Currently, he was trapped inside a wave of ice created by Rukia. The only question was would it last? Ahatake looked at Aarroniero. "Do you think this'll hold him?" "I doubt it." Rukia replied solemnly. "If this could hold him, I wouldn't have had such a problem with him back then." "Then what's taking him so long to get out?" "Maybe he's playing with us." Rukia suggested. "Either way, it gives us a chance to destroy him. Would you like to do the honors?" "Thought you'd never ask. Step away from the ice." Ahatake raised a hand and pointed his finger at the trapped Arrancar. "Cero." From his finger launched a massive beam of red energy that raced across the ground, enveloping the ice. The ice was melting, and Ahatake felt the Cero make contact with something, and he grinned. However, he did not feel that something give way to nothingness, and that grin quickly faded. As the Cero itself faded, Aarroniero was standing perfectly fine, a shield of spiritual energy protecting him from the back. "It's good to be out of that." He yawned, turning around to face Ahatake. "Nice Cero by the way. How about I show you mine?" He launched a fast Cero from his hand, and it hit Ahatake square in the chest, though it did not pierce, but it sent him back, skidding along the cold floor. Rukia took the opportunity of Aarroniero having his back turned to make her move, swinging her sword and sending a wave of cold, sharp spiritual energy his way. However, he raised his own sword to block it. ---- Dordoni restrained a chuckle at the sight of Megami, and turned his attention to Ginji. Performing two different kick motions, he sent both cyclones tearing his way. "This is bad...." It was fortunate that the cyclones were aimed at the same direction. All Ginji had to do was throw himself out of harm's way, pulling the triggers and unleashing a steady stream of fire in Dordonii's direction. His teeth were gritted, anxiety building up within him. Dordoni released a few Bala blasts in Ginji's direction. The cyclones opened their beaks to let out a shriek, and each of them split into two new cyclones. "This is getting old. It's time to end this!" Each cyclone pair shot off in different directions, one pair heading towards Ginji, the other towards Megami, and they were coming from different directions, one from the left, one from the right. Once again, Ginji moved his legs in order to leap out of the way. His heart stopped, when he felt his leg being caught under the intense winds. Against his will, he was pulled into the cyclone, losing grip of his guns. For the cyclones that were heading towards Megami, she was now lying on her back thanks to the previous attack. Her body looked defeated, but as death came racing towards her, her face lit up with determination. She extended her hands out, and the sword immediately melted away. Whips of water raced towards both tornadoes, enveloping them in their liquid blue. Now, it was a tug of war between Dordonii and Megami; he had control of the winds, but she had control of the water. She held both hands up, slowly pulling herself up to a kneeling position as she fought against Dordonii's strength. What an opponent.... Dordoni tried applying as much force as he could to the cyclones. This woman was strong. Due to focusing on Megami, he had completely turned his attention away from Ginji. ---- Ahatake and Aaroniero were currently clashing, blade on blade, sparks flying. Rukia, luckily, had been forgotten, and was using this moment to chant a spell. ---- The cyclones that had been spinning Ginji around violently had stopped abruptly when Dordonii lost his focus. Ginji fell to the ground with an unforgiving THUD, his pistols just out of his reach. His eyes were struggling to adjust as they watched Megami's and Dordonii's struggle against one another. However, due to the wounds inflicted upon Megami, it was an advantage that was slowly making itself clear. Dordonii's wind was forcing Megami's water back, little by little. He had to do something. With a burst of energy, he grasped one of his pistols and shakily aimed the barrel at Dordonii. The Arrancar himself had said that if he had not acted, the man's arm would've been blown clean off. Now, his attention was completely focused on his enemy. That would be a lethal mistake - and Ginji would consume every bit of it. He fired another grenade burst. And they collided, creating a huge explosion which rocked the room they were in. However, as the smoke cleared, Dordoni's arm was still intact, but it was bleeding, as was much of the right side of his body where the grenade had made contact. "I see! It seems I had forgotten about you, niño. That was smart, a sneak attack. But it failed. Did you not think that my defenses would not have risen with my sword released? You are a fool jovenzuelo, and now you will pay dearly for your foolishness!" The cyclones tore his way this time, but two remained behind as a precautionary measure. "Damn it...!" However, aid came to Ginji in the form of two water snakes wrapping around his mid-section. His hand reached out to grab his other pistol, before he was pulled out of the way and right beside Megami. "Th....thanks...." He managed to gasp out. Megami gave a calm nod, her eyes leveled on Dordonii. He turned towards her. "Of course, in my anger against him, I forgot about you. Pity." He began to spin one of his, whirlwind wrapping up it. He vanished, reappearing in front of her, and letting his fist fly. "Halcón Puñetazo!" BOOM! With the power of her own Zanpakutō, she could barely block the blow, the water forming up in front of her own hand as the fist collided through it. This served as only a temporary shield, but allowed her to catch the fist without obstacle. Her eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as she forced that water forward. The water struck Dordonii point-blank range, shoving him away from both her and the fallen Ginji. Dordoni got up, wincing due to the pain in his body that had come from the grenade blast sometime back. He took a stance, and the cyclones arose again. Suspicions Rukia took her own stance against Aaroniero, who had his attention focused on Ahatake. Her spell was ready. "Bakudō 43! Hikariori! Hadō 54, Haien!" From her hand, she released a large cage made of a strong light that shot towards Aaroniero and began to cover him. She next fired a ball of purple flame that collided with the barrier. However, right before the barrier closed and the flame hit, Aaroniero escaped from it. "I've never seen that one before. You're only improving Rukia." Ahatake landed next to Rukia, frowning. "Rukia, doesn't something seem off to you? Like he's merely-" "Playing around? Yeah, I noticed it. The power he's putting out isn't near what it should be. I can sense the power in your wife's battle, and it doesn't seem to be serious either. It's unnerving." ---- As Ginji slowly pushed himself up, he holstered his pistols once more while focusing a weary glare at Dordonii's direction. "This.... isn't the power.... of a three-digit Arrancar...." He managed to gasp out, causing Megami to look up at him in surprise.... well, as much surprise as she could, considering the both of them were taken over by exhaustion. "That's definitely Espada-level spiritual energy I'm sensing, isn't it?" Dordoni chuckled. "All Arrancar with a three-digit number were formerly Espada. We were known as the Privaron Espada. And that was centuries ago. Since then, my power has only increased!" "And.... what....was your rank....?" "I was the former 3rd Espada." Dordoni replied, proud of his high rank. "So, I was right...." Ginji felt irritation flare up within him, and he was almost tempted to fire once more at Dordonii. "You bastard, you've been toying with us right from the start!!!" "What?!" Megami's eyes widened immediately, Ginji's words having gotten a rise out of her. "His form.... his former rank.... it all makes sense now." Ginji spoke, his breath heavy. "The first four numbers of the Espada are the top Espada. Each of their power is absolutely devastating to whoever is foolish enough to cross their path. Let's face it... there were several times where he could've ousted us. But, he refrained from doing so...." He leveled his next words at the Arrancar. "Am I right?! You've been doing nothing but stalling us!!" Dordoni chuckled. "So, you caught on, niño. You are right. Diosa-san knew that you fools would take the bait, and she lured you down here. And without your Visored companion, who is no doubt encountering a similar situation in the next room, you cannot hope to leave this place! And, now that you have figured out, this place shall become your grave!" Dordoni performed a strange, spinning kick, sending a set of cyclones at each of his opponents. "Avoid those cyclones!!!" Ginji shouted. Immediately, both Megami and he scrambled to get out of the way before the cyclones could sweep them off of their feet. Ginji raised his pistols up and fired on Dordonii, while Megami raised her hand up towards the Arrancar. Upon her command, wide whips of water were summoned, their speed quick enough for them to rip through Dordonii if he was careless enough to let them. Dodorni was prepared, calling upon one of the cyclones, which held of the whip long enough for Dordoni to move out of the way, before it was ripped in half. He began forming seals, giving away his intention. "Cero!" He let the dark crimson blast fire from between his fingers, heading towards Megami and Ginji. It was that intention that tipped Megami and Ginji off. Once again, they managed to avoid the blast - but barely. Their exhaustion was once again getting to them. They both knew that the more time that they wasted here, the more chance that they would be slaughtered. "Bait...." Ginji managed to breathe out. "What the hell do you mean? What are you trying to distract us from?!" "Nothing you need to concern yourself with." Dordoni replied, shooting the answer specifically at Ginji. "What we're after will not affect you, niño." "Then what about me?" Megami added in her word, both hands leveled towards the Arrancar. "Surely, with your group hunting after my head, as well as my husband's, it would have to involve me, right?" However, there was apprehension growing within her veins. She and Ahatake should've been the only targets, right? There was nothing else told about their operations! What more could they have to hide? Dordoni turned her attention to her. "Think for a moment niña. Why would we go through all of the trouble to lure you here and not kill you as soon as we got you here?" Her suspicions were confirmed. Her eyes contorted to one of fear, and she immediately forced herself up, her head shaking in a "no" motion. "No.... you couldn't be.... why couldn't you have left the rest of my family out of this, they weren't....!" As she spoke, anger and panic wer clear in her voice. Ginji immediately turned to her, sheathing his pistols and staring in confusion at the woman. "What are you talking about?" "Aoi...Miharu...Midoriko... what was left to defend against us was nothing but a distraction... so that the rest of these criminals could come up and attack them!!!!" Megami exclaimed, looking around and backing off a few steps. However, her gaze was soon focused on her enemy once more. "We have to get--" "Stop!" Ginji's sharp voice cut her off. "Getting out of here should be the last thing on your mind, right now! This bastard isn't going to let us leave and go after them, and in the condition we're in, we're not going to kill him off in time. They're on their own now, Megami." ---- In the overworld It was quiet so far. Miharu was sitting alone, Aoi still up on the roof. She was annoyed though. Her parents weren't around, and there were guards in and around the house, apparently under the King's orders. She hissed. "How long are you guys going to be around?" She asked to a couple of guards standing by the sitting room window. They didn't respond. Clearly, they were ignoring her, not interested in giving out any information. One even went so far as to pull down his mask, pull out a cigarette and lighter, light the front of the cigarette, and smoke it nonchalantly. The other was simply looking around, rifle holstered in his hands. Miharu chipped a piece of wood off a chair leg with and covered it in energy. "Ignore me will you?" She chucked the wood right at one of them. "No smoking in the house!" It took only a soldier's reflexes for the smoking one's hand to grab the piece out of mid-air before it could completely hit him. He turned towards the girl, a rather annoyed look to his eyes. "Look, little girl." He snapped. "I'm not too thrilled waiting here while your family's off having a blast. But how about we keep the violence to a minimum and make our lives a whole lot fucking easier, all right?" "Then answer my questions when I ask them." Miharu snapped back. "How much longer are you lot gonna be here?" The soldier scoffed. "Haven't you heard of the words "classified information"? We don't tell stuff like that to civilians!" "Ugh!" Miharu stormed out, walking outside. She could understand her father's frustration with the soldiers now, that's for sure. She sighed, and was about to sit down, but she felt some familiar spiritual pressure coming her way. She looked up, to see her older sister Midoriko Kurosaki running down the street, dragging poor Kibou with her. "Ah! C'mon, Midoriko, get off me!" Kibou was complaining at the rough treatment of his person, trying to free himself from her grip. "Seriously, this could kill me, you know--" However, his complaining stopped when his eyes feasted themselves onto Miharu. His mouth contorted into a smile. "Oh, hey, Miharu! Long time no see, huh?" "Oh, Kibō, Onē-chan! Long time no see is right." She grinned, glad to see someone she didn't want to rip into pieces. Midoriko sighed. "Kibō, you're Ryūka's kid. Me dragging you along to pay my dear family a visit won't kill you." "And that's an excuse? Dear, I love you, but damn!" Kibou insisted, folding his arms across his chest. "Keep doing that and I might consider finding some other--" His words became teasing as he spoke. "--less rougher, and possibly more prettier girl to take your place, hm?" A vein throbbed in Midoriko's head and she slammed her first down onto Kibō's skull. Miharu chuckled. "I'd mind your words around her, Kibō." Despite the blow that Midoriko delivered, Kibou chuckled and rubbed the affected area. "I'm well aware of the consequences." He answered, shifting his other hand into his pocket. "After all, this girl's been with me almost my whole life...." His rubbing hand retracted, its arm wrapping itself around her shoulders. "...so I think I know her at least a little." "Doesn't that disturb you at all?" Miharu asked, while Midoriko was rubbing her hand. Damn boy's head was hard as a diamond. "She probably helped change your diapers when you were a baby. I'd be creeped out." Kibou simply shrugged, slightly leaning his head onto hers in a nonverbal expression of apology. "Trust me. I know there are much creepier things in the world than just that." He assured her. "But, speaking of which, what about you? Is this little criminal thing going on phasing you any?" "Hm? No, not really. Tō-san and Kā-san are in Hueco Mundo dealing with the problem anyway. I figure the sooner they get back, the sooner these damn soldiers can leave." The Injiki's eyes had turned towards the two soldiers. "Hm? Why're they here, of all places?" He wondered, taking in the note that they weren't paying much attention to them. "You being hunted or something?" "I'm not sure." Midoriko sighed. "The king ordered them here, I guess to keep guard over me. As if I can't do it myself." It was Midoriko's turn to chuckle. "You sound like Tō-san. Not too fond of the soldiers, either?" "I hate 'em. And they're smoking in the house!" She hissed. Kibou retracted his arm from Midoriko's shoulders, shoving both of his hands into his pocket. "Ah, well. We have our ups and downs, I suppose...." He said dismissively, his eyes averting away from the pair and back onto Miharu. "Don't worry. Your parents are strong... I'm sure they can handle whatever's in Hueco Mundo." "You're right. And knowing Tō-san, he'd come back from the dead to finish whatever happens anyway." She grinned at that. Then, right at that moment, a large spiritual pressure could be felt covering the whole area. Midoriko looked around. "Am I the only one feeling this?" Kibou's eyes immediately jerked up, head snapping to look around. "If you were, then I'm one dumb shit...." He answered, his body tensing and whipping around with every turn. "What's going on here?" Miharu was looking in every direction possible without bending her body in ways unthinkable. "The power is huge! But I'm feeling two! Two different powers, they merely seem like one huge pressure. And it's headed right for us." "Well, I've gotta say!" Kibou remarked, his eyes narrowing. "They're certainly going through a lot of trouble to shut whoever they want up! But is it us they're after?!" The power could be clearly detected coming from the left, and all heads turned that way. It didn't take long for them all to get a visual. It was Grimmjow, accompanied by a young woman. "Ahh...here we are again..." Grimmjow murmured. It was indeed them that they were after here. "I don't suppose you know who these guys are....?" Kibou asked to the both of them, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword sheathed at his waist. He was already settled into a makeshift stance, ready to draw out his blade and attack at the moment's notice. Who were they? It seemed like the enemy knew them.... but he didn't know them. Only the fact that they were part of the terrorist group running around clicked in his head. "The woman, I've never seen. But the man, he knocked me out earlier today actually." Miharu explained. The woman sighed. "So this is the place? How rich are these bastards anyway?" "Alita, I don't think that's our concern." Alita hissed. "Hey!" Kibou barked out in order to get their attention. "If you've got the time to talk, how about you take that time to fight us? You're after us, aren't you?" "Fight you?" Alita asked. "No, we're here to destroy you." At that moment, a Cero was released from her forehead, and it shot towards Kibō like the beam of death it was. "Hup!" Immediately, Kibō's legs sprung into action. He leaped into the air, avoiding the blast with a display of acrobatic beauty in the form of a backflip. It was timed so that he would land on the ground just after the Cero passed by. His legs fell into a kneeling position, right beside the two soldiers. They both had rather alarmed expressions on their faces, but they acted immediately and aimed their rifles at them. When they pulled the triggers, the resulting fire was automatic, a stream of death racing towards the two. Grimmjow jumped in the way, swatting down each and every bullet with his sword. "Vermin." Alita hissed, firing a Cero in the direction of the soldiers now. They couldn't avoid it in time. Before they could blink, the Cero consumed both of their bodies, disintegrating them completely. Kibou's eyes widened in shock as the Cero faded away, the remaining ashes floating down to the ground. "Makes me glad I dodged...." He muttered to himself, a bit mournful of the fallen fighters. He made a mental note to say a prayer for their departure later on. Slowly, he stood up, his eyes leveled at the two Arrancar. Midoriko turned to look at them, looking over Grimmjow. "You remind me of someone. Eh, forget it." Miharu drew her weapon. "Even though you're here to kill us, you do have my thanks for getting rid of those annoying soldiers." She grinned. "I think I'll take the silver-haired woman you guys. You can have blue-hair over there." Midoriko nodded. "Works for me." Kibou didn't reply. At least, not verbally. Instead, he jumped into a Shunpo, sword unsheathed by the time he re-appeared in front of Alita in a crouched position. She had the guts to attack him? Of course, he would return the favor and fight back! His blade swiftly moved from his sheath, sparks flying as it grinded against the material. The sparking blade flew towards the woman's head in an uppercut, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and a smile crossing his face. He was going to enjoy this fight! Grimmjow intervened however, his sword and Kibō's clashing. "The girl already designated opponents, did she not?" He hissed. "You shouldn't try to take someone else's prey." He forced Kibō to the left of Alita, and Midoriko used Shunpo to get next to him. "Guess you're stuck with him." "Designated?" Kibou cocked an eyebrow and scowled, standing back up and twirling his blade around. "What is this, some sort of damn Western showdown? I don't remember rules being brought into this game, kitty cat. Besides..." He raised his blade to point at Grimmjow. "Are you already saying that your friend's going to get her ass kicked by a little girl?" It wasn't out of spite for Miharu, but just to insult the enemy a little more. It was fun twisting his enemy's words! "Not at all." Grimmjow replied, disregarding the kitty cat comment. "I would like to take you both on at once, it would be more enjoyable. Or are you merely scared to fight me?" "Whenever you're ready.... pussy." Kibou teased, breaking out of his stance for a moment to place both of his hands on his cheeks, a taunting grin on his face. Midoriko placed her hand over her face, donning her Hollow Mask. Her Shikai wasn't exactly suited for battle, or at least, it could be considered cheating. She did draw her sword however, and Grimmjow took a stance. "Another one eh?" He muttered. "Those masks are getting annoying." These guys sure loved to talk a lot, didn't they? Kibō scowled irritantly at the lack of action, but didn't waste his own time by replying back. Instead, he once again leapt into the offensive, sword brandishing. His father's training came to mind: the first moves made would be analyzed by both opponents, and that would provide for a much bigger strategy later on. So far, he deciphered that this Arrancar had a habit of defending his partner in times of her being attacked without preparation. He could also safely say that this was the brains of the duo, while the girl was nothing but brawn. Or at the very least, the punk was just acting sophisticated. Grimmjoe grinned. "Alright!! Time for fun!" He launched himself towards Kibō and Midoriko, his sword undrawn, bare hands ready to rip them apart. Miharu and Alita were circling each other, neither having yet made a move. Their swords were at the ready. It was only a matter of time. He could take back what he said about Grimmjow's intelligence. Immediately, Kibou's blade swung upon him in the same uppercut that had been performed before, aiming to cut through his skin. However, as soon as the killing edge made contact, the blade caused sparks to fly as it tore across his opponent's Hierro. His eyes widened in shock. "Damn! I should've known that would happen!" Mentally, he cursed himself for being so confident. Grimmjow grinned, swinging the blade off his arm, and raised his fist up to meet the boy's face. Midoriko jumped back, her black and yellowed eyes scanning. She wanted to see just what Kibō could do before she provided actual assistance. The fist collided with Kibou's jaw, the force of the blow sending him a good ways off from its owner. Kibō skidded back, raising the back of his free hand to his cheek and wincing at the contact with the affected area. It would seem that fighting with the sealed state alone would be useless here. Unless he destroyed his own restraints, this fight would be moving at a standstill. He grabbed the hilt of his katana, the tip pointed diagonally downward. If cutting through wasn't an option.... then perhaps concussive force would do the job. That was exactly what his Zanpakutō's power was made for. "Ascend from the ashes..." Upon those words, his sword immediately glowed a brilliant blue. From that illuminating light, two blades formed, each one taking to each hand. A distinct energy could be felt from both of them, their forms shifting, and the increase of power being more prominent. As the light faded away, Kibō brandished both of them in a ready stance, a slight frown on his face as he stared at Grimmjow. "Tsumi no Konkyo." He finished the words with the raising of those blades. His hands moved in a rotating manner, the last blade creating a shockwave that hit the ground. As soon as it hit, it expanded through the ground in the form of a focused seismic wave that was laying ruin to the ground as it raced towards Grimmjow. Grimmjow jumped into the air, surprised. The boy had only released Shikai, and yet he seemed strong. Suddenly, he had to move again, a Cero racing towards him. He looked down to see Midoriko's hand extended, smoking. "This is going to be fun..." He thought, pushing off from the air, torpedoeing towards Kibou. He clenched his hand at his sides, red energy forming around his fist. As he got in close, he let the Cero loose, and it flew towards Kibou. One of Kibō's swords swung upwards. A massive rock wall was summoned upon his will, thick in density and having a considerable width and length. The Cero collided, and the power collided with the defense full-force. But, even though it was wearing away, the rock wall held itself in a stable manner. With his other sword, Kibou stabbed it into the wall and sent boulders at bullet-speed towards Grimmjow. They wouldn't be sure to cut through his Hierro, of course.... but it would cause broken bones and internal organ damage upon contact with the enemy. Grimmjow raised his hand up, letting loose blue bala blasts towards the boulders, shooting them all down. However, this distraction was what Midoriko needed. She appeared above him, letting her own Cero loose. But Grimmjow felt this, and dodged, moving to the side, then up into the air. Midoriko pursued him, swinging her sword to let a blast of spiritual energy loose. Now it was Kibō's turn to wait. As the rock wall sank back into the ground, the boy kneeled into a crouching position and watched the exchange of blows take place. He would have to wait until Grimmjow got closer to the ground for his attacks to be effective enough. His blades continued to raise themselves defensively as he waited patiently to strike. Kibō, think fast!" Midoriko cried out, slamming the back of her first into Grimmjow's face, shattering his mask and sending the Arrancar hurtling towards Earth and Kibō. Meanwhile, Miharu and Alita had finally begun to battle, their swords clashing, circling each other and trading blows. The young girl actually seemed equal to the Arrancar, blocking and striking back against her with relative ease. A smile lit up Kibō's face. "Thank you, Midoriko!!" He cheered, flinging both of his swords towards the sky. As soon as Grimmjow came within range, a pillar of rock rose up and captured him within its abyss of a stomach. With a grunt, Kibō then swung both of his swords in an inward horizontal swing, and the pillar compressed in on itself. The strength would be enough to crush Grimmjow completely! As the rocks caved in, Grimmjow had to think fast. He hadn't been sent here to die! He raised a hand, releasing a massive blue Cero that ripped a hole in the rocks, allowing him to escape. "I'll give you brats credit, you're good." Grimmjow seemed furious, yet he was also enjoying the battle at the same time. He extended both hands, one pointing in Midoriko's direction, and the other pointing in Kibō's. Without warning, he released two Cero, one for each of his opponents. "Gee, thanks, kitty!" Kibō retorted mockingly, swinging one of his blades forth in order to meet the Cero. The bright light was cut in two, continuing to speed towards him without harming his flesh. However, the energy radiating off of it blew his hair and clothing like a fierce wind. He paid no mind to it. Midoriko did a flip, kicking the Cero away like it was nothing. It crashed into the ground next to Grimmjow, shocking him. However, he regained in his composure in little under 5 seconds, and took off towards Kibō. This time however, he drew his sword. Vanishing right before he reached the boy, he appeared behind him, slashing at his back. "I don't think so." All the boy had to do was turn his eyes towards the man, and an explosive geyser of earth erupted behind him. It threw Grimmjow right into the air, and Kibō himself was free to turn his whole body in order to meet him. Midoriko was smiling. She'd only seen the boy's Shikai once before, and he was even better with it now than then. Grimmjow caught himself in the air, and finally stopped to think. "The boy's Zanpakutō... it's earth based. If I fight him on the ground, he has no blind spots. Every piece of ground is his weapon. An aerial battle is better." He released a hail of bala blasts from the air, and the energy rain fell down upon Kibō. Midoriko, who was in the air as Grimmjow was, watched. "Oh, boy...." Kibou acted immediately, spinning around in a tornado-like fashion. With his movements, he summoned a shield of thick rock in order to avoid being killed outright, the Bala pounding the near-impenetrable defense. As the sphere shook, he gritted his teeth and waited for the attacks to stop. Grimmjow kept the barrage up however, not relenting. He was determined to get that kid off the ground. Midoriko extended her hand. Kibō'd stay stuck as he was if this kept up. She unleashed a golden Cero from her palm, and it headed straight for Gimmjow. Grimmjow looked to the side to see the attack come his way, and fired off his own Cero to block it. Grimmjow was now occupied in attacking Kibō, and preventing himself from being incinerated. "Ugh!" Miharu grunted as Alita's fist collided with her face, sending her a few ways back from Alita, and she hit the ground hard. "You're not much are you kiddo?" Alita asked, twirling her blade. "I was at least hoping you could push me into my released state." "Shut it!" Miharu hissed, twirling her fingers and forming whips of water. She flung them in Alita's direction, only to find them easily deflected. Alita vanished with Sonído, appearing in front of Miharu, kneeing the young girl in the gut. She was winded, and Alita slashed at the girl with her blade, cutting into her shoulder and drawing blood. Miharu wasn't fairing so well.... and neither was Kibou. He had to attack! But how could he surprise Grimmjow? All he could do was hurl boulders at the guy, which would be easily blocked and evaded. He should've evaded when he had the chance! But now, he was stuck here unless Midoriko could pull him out.... sweat fell down his face, and he attempted to put his mind to use in order to think for a way out of his own prison. Midoriko knew that carrying out her beam struggle with the Arrancar would just lead to a stalemate. Luckily, she had a free hand, something that Grimmjow was conveniently lacking. She raised her free hand, grinning under her mask. "Hadō 33, Sōkatsui!" She called out the type, number, and name of the spell, letting loose a blast of blue energy from her palm. Grimmjow looked over to see it coming, but it was too late. The blast enveloped him, blasting him away, stopping the bala blasts against Kibō. The blasts stopped. "Finally!" Kibou thought, relieved that his troubles had been forced back for the moment. He allowed the rocks to fall, and he stood up to look at Midoriko. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" He called up to the sky, a clear grin on his face. Midoriko removed her mask to show her face, laughing. "You'll have plenty of time to show me when we get home." When the Cero faded however, Grimmjow was revealed to be barely harmed at all. "Is that it?" He asked, scowling. Obviously, the guy had seriously strong Hierro. Kibou gave a return scowl, gripping both of his swords tightly. What would it take to rip through that Hierro of his? He thought back to the start of the fight. The only thing that he seemed to be wary of was the boulders, which was understandable. Right now, it seemed like the boy's earthen powers were the only thing that would be capable of inflicting any damage. There had to be a way to lure him into a trap. For now, he had to act. With one of his swords, he pointed the tip downward, and plunged it in to summon another pillar of earth in order to crush its target. But it wasn't Grimmjow. The pillar was aimed for the distracted Alita instead. Grimmjow didn't flinch. He stood there while the pillar moved towards his comrade. And it connected with a THUD, not a crunch as one would expect, right into the female Arrancar, knocking her off her feet, giving Miharu a chance to recover and gain some distance. Alita got up, rubbing her face. "Little brat..." Kibō smiled. "I'm not done yet." He forced the sword in deeper. The walls surrounding Alita immediately compressed inward on themselves as they had done to Grimmjow before. Another guess game to mind; the woman seemed to be stronger than the man in this situation. Grimmjow had seemed to struggle within the trap, requiring a Cero to blow himself out of it. Miharu could use this time to attack before the woman got free-- Then it hit him. Was Miharu even up and fighting anymore? Miharu was still standing, though she was bleeding. Shockingly, she was glaring at Kibō. Even as he focused on crushing the life out of Alita, Kibō's eyebrow cocked at the girl in an expression of surprise. "What's the matter?" He asked casually. "I'm helping you out here... the least you could do is finish the bitch off before she breaks free!" "Let her." Miharu replied. "Granted, you saved me me from becoming sushi, but you should have stopped there. This is my fight. Besides, you have your own hell to worry about." She was right. Grimmjow was already on the move, gliding along the ground and appearing in front of Kibō. He drew his blade, aiming to decapitate the boy right there. "Jeez, you're such an ungrateful little git!" The complaint was followed by the immediate loss of concentration on the pillar as Grimmjow appeared in front of him. The time it took to draw the blade was now a lethal opportunity to deliver a crucial blow. Kibō had kept his own out, and there had been no reason for Grimmjow to sheathe the blade. That would be his undoing. Letting go of the blade embedded in the ground, he swung the blade at Grimmjow's chest. Normally, it wouldn't cause damage. But the released power of the twin swords had increased them to the point where they were like the hardest rock available: diamond. It would be sure to cut through the solid steel material that was the Arrancar's thick Hierro. Grimmjow's eyes widened as the blades made contact, cutting into his skin and blood began to spurt. Luckily for him, as soon as his body registered the pain, he jumped back, so the wound was only half as severe as it could be. He began to ascend again. As the pillars weakened, Alita emerged from them, looking irritated. "Alright kid, I'll finish you off, then take care of the little brat!" She readied her blade, charging at Miharu. If Miharu didn't react this time, she was dead. "I think I know how to reach you...." His free hand stretched outwards towards the fleeing Arrancar, and he focused his energy into the earth underneath him. It exploded all around him, rocks and boulders flying about at their target. However, no sooner did they leave the ground did they begin to disintegrate, the crumbs forming together to produce a sand-like material. Packed together and thick in density, it was very apparent that it had the strength to crush Grimmjow. However, it was moving at a much more versatile and flexible pace, flying in an acrobatic manner. It did not come as one.... but as many large and snake-like whips. This way, Grimmjow's chances of escape would be very limited. This kid couldn't be serious. An AERIAL attack? There had to at least be a limit. Grimmjow took off, heading directly up. Perhaps those things could only move so far. Alita was once again knocked away, however, it wasn't Kibō's intervention this time. Miharu looked closely to see a young boy about her age covered in an electric-aura. "Wai..Daiyaku?" The End